Dundee Mountain Club surfs UK’s highest loch (Press release June 2011)

26th June 2011

Full Press Release:
Dundee Mountain Club have successfully completed a major challenge: windsurfing (and extreme ironing!) on the highest loch in the UK. The feat involved carrying a 3 metre long windsurf board plus mast, boom and sails for 18½ miles (30km) and up 2,500 feet (750m) of ascent – from the Linn of Dee by Braemar up to Loch Etchachan in the heart of the Cairngorms, and back again!
If that wasn’t enough, they also carried an iron and ironing board with them so they could do “extreme ironing” at the same time!
A team of 11 members travelled up from Dundee on Friday evening and set off with all this gear – plus their usual camping and hillwalking equipment. They walked the first 3 miles and then set up camp near the abandoned hunting lodge at the bottom of Glen Derry, before heading all the way up the glen the next morning.
They arrived at Loch Etchachan at 3041 feet (927m) above sea level just after 1pm to find themselves in the middle of thick cloud with very little wind, but thankfully the weather quickly changed and some strong winds built up – blowing away the clouds and the midges and enabling some great windsurfing to be had by DMC members Pete Scott and Nicolas Duplouy. Members then fixed the ironing board and iron onto the windsurf board to try extreme ironing on the loch. After a couple of hours of fun at the loch the team headed all the way back to the Linn of Dee, collecting their tents and camping gear on the way, before driving home to Dundee, stopping for a well earned meal in Blairgowrie.
The club believes two new records have been set – the first windsurfing ever carried out in the UK’s highest water body, and the highest altitude windsurfing (and extreme ironing) ever done in the UK. It may also be the furthest distance anyone has carried a windsurfer too!
Dundee Mountain Club was formed last year and is a mountain sports club focused on hillwalking and mountaineering, with interests ranging from ski-touring to climbing and mountain biking. The club organises weekends away every month and informally arranges day trips to the hills most weekends. For more information visit www.dundeemountainclub.org.uk

100 Word Summary:
Dundee Mountain Club have successfully completed a major challenge: windsurfing (and extreme ironing!) on the highest loch in the UK. The feat involved carrying a 3m long windsurf board plus mast, boom and sails for 18½ miles (30km) and up 2,500 feet (750m) of ascent – to Loch Etchachan in the heart of the Cairngorms and back! If that wasn’t enough, they also carried an iron and ironing board so they could do “extreme ironing” at the same time!

The club has interests ranging from hillwalking and mountaineering to ski-touring to climbing and mountain biking. For more information visit www.dundeemountainclub.org.uk

50 Word Summary:
Dundee Mountain Club have successfully completed a major challenge: windsurfing (and extreme ironing!) on the highest loch in the UK (Loch Etchachan, Cairngorms). The feat involved carrying a 3m long windsurf board and other gear for 18½ miles (30km) and up 2,500 feet (750m) of ascent. (Details: www.dundeemountainclub.org.uk)